Jack Black Swears By This Recipe for Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese

The honorable Jack Black has made us cackle with delight for decades. Whether it’s his teacherly antics in School of Rock or his groovy tunes as part of Tenacious D, it’s safe to say this guy is a national treasure. He’s also starring in A Minecraft Movie, so we love Jack Black in this house.

You know what we also love? Learning about what famous people cook at home. In an interview with WGN, Jack shared his cheeseburger mac and cheese, which we absolutely had to know more about.

It seems like Jack’s made a version of this recipe for more than 20 years. In 2003, he did an interview on the YouTube channel Cooking with Rockstars. He talked about how he makes his Kraft Mac & Cheese, saying, “I developed a thing where I’ll fry up some ground beef, throw that in with the mac and cheese.”

Sounds like this recipe is a Jack Black original.

What’s in Jack Black’s mac and cheese?

Think of this recipe as an upgraded version of Hamburger Helper, similar to our own version of cheeseburger macaroni. It’s a one-pot meal made with pantry staples plus ground beef, milk or cream and cheddar cheese. I think Jack is on to something here—it’s not comfort food unless the recipe is super simple!

Here’s the full list of ingredients for his cheeseburger mac and cheese:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream or whole milk
• 2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi pasta
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• Parsley to garnish

You’ll want to use a Dutch oven or sturdy skillet for this recipe. Start by sauteing the ground beef over medium-high heat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, then drain the fat. Sprinkle the cornstarch, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, sugar and pepper over the ground beef and stir well.

Then, add the broth, heavy cream and pasta. Stir the mixture and bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and let everything simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the grated cheese until it’s completely melted.

Sprinkle with parsley to garnish, and you’re ready to eat dinner like Jack Black!